
Lackawanna College traces its origins to 1894, when it began in Scranton as a business school. Its development from business training into a college offering associate degrees and selected bachelor's programs helps explain its mix of career-focused and transfer-oriented study today.
That history matters when comparing programs: a student preparing for a specific occupation may need to examine licensing or clinical requirements, while a student planning to continue elsewhere should examine how a proposed degree transfers. The college's present-day offerings extend beyond its original business focus to fields such as health care, public safety, technology, and the liberal arts.
Lackawanna College offers associate degrees, certificates, and selected bachelor's degrees rather than the broad collection of graduate schools found at a large university. Its academic offerings include business and accounting, liberal arts, criminal justice, nursing and other health-related fields, culinary arts, hospitality, and technical or workforce-oriented programs.
Applicants should use the current academic catalog to distinguish a degree from a certificate and to check where and how a program is delivered. A program listed by the college may have requirements or classes at a particular location, online, or through a combination of formats. Students intending to transfer should compare course requirements with those of their intended four-year institution before choosing electives.
Lackawanna College's main campus is in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania. Its urban location puts students near city services and employers, while making transportation and parking practical considerations for commuters.
The college also serves students beyond its Scranton campus through other instructional locations and delivery formats; applicants should confirm where their specific program's classes, labs, and required activities take place. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport serves the region, but local transportation needs will depend more directly on a student's class schedule and campus location.
Lackawanna College presents its educational purpose in terms of access to education, student development, and preparation for work or further study. Its range of career programs and transfer pathways reflects those stated priorities, although a mission statement is an expression of institutional intent rather than evidence of an individual student's outcome.
For prospective students, the useful question is how that purpose appears in a particular program: its curriculum, advising, hands-on requirements, and arrangements for employment preparation or transfer. The college is a private institution; students comparing it with a public community college should not assume that its tuition or state-residency rules work the same way.
Name of the institution
Lackawanna CollegeLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
City: SmallInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, not primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
1,000 - 4,999School type
Four-year collegeMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1894Lackawanna College is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Certificate of at least 1 year, but less than 2 years
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degreeData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.